Chapter 288: Perseus and Skanda

Sarua Legston and Sieg were friends. Both of them had parents who had moved to Talosheim, the capital city of the Demon Empire of Vidal, and both of them had parents who were important figures, so they had many opportunities to meet.

Sarua was the nephew of Chezare, who was the general and prime minister of the Demon Empire of Vidal, and his younger brother Kurt. Meanwhile, Sieg was the stepson of the Pure-breed Vampire Zorcodrio.

Most importantly, their ages were similar. This alone was enough for children to become friends.

I think we should reveal our ident.i.ties as soon as possible.

Would it be impossible to just keep it a secret and leave peacefully?

Ive said it over and over. I dont think theres any chance we can do that.

The two of them were bound strongly together by a shared secret, and this secret was not something that one might smile at upon hearing, such as a prank that they had pulled or a secret hideout they had made together.

But if we pretend that we dont know anything and dont use our abilities, wont we be fine? Our names and faces are completely different, after all

Do you think wed be able to do that? Its true that Kanako and Legion dont seem to recognize us, but the people who come later on might.

The two of them were reincarnated individuals who had been sent here from Origin.

Ordinarily, their memories and personalities would have returned around the age of five or six, but as a result of unexpected encounters with Vandalieu, they had returned fleetingly and vanished again several times. Recently, their previous memories and personalities had finally become stable and fixed.

Before his memories and personality were stable, Sarua had constantly been in fear: When would he remember next? Would he be killed by Vandalieu? Would he be turned into an Undead if his ident.i.ty was discovered?

But by coincidence, he had learned that Sieg was a reincarnated individual as well, and he gained a little peace of mind.

The two of them had then realized that they were related to important figures in the nation and they would not be executed so easily even if their ident.i.ties as reincarnated individuals were discovered.

Thanks to that, Sarua had regained his appet.i.te and was able to sleep at night once more. His parents had thought that he had stabilized mentally because he was able to make a friend close to his own age in Sieg.

That was why Earl Legston and his wife, who were former n.o.bles, had made sure that their son had plenty of opportunities to play with Sieg.

A n.o.bles child being friends and spending time with a child from a commoner family this alone was not something that would have been allowed by n.o.bles who thought of commoners as being on the same level as the livestock they cared for.

But thanks to Saruas parents decision, Sarua and Sieg had been able to talk about various things and discuss things with each other.

What had happened to Kay Mackenzie, who had died and should have been reincarnated at around the same time as their own reincarnation? Were Kanako and the others not aware of them? Rodcorte had sent a single message after their memories and personalities had become stable; why wasnt he saying anything anymore?

And the other thing they had discussed was whether or not to reveal their ident.i.ties to Vandalieu. He often came to see Sarua and Sieg, and he had frequently had them play with the other children.

It seemed that he had taken the time to see Sarua frequently in particular, as Saruas health had not been very good until quite recently.

Im sure Van-nii would understand I really hope so, said Sieg.

Im really scared. Sieg, you were there as well, right? We didnt attack him directly, but we were still a part of it, said Sarua.

The two of them had felt guilt towards Vandalieu every time their memories and personalities from their previous lives returned. Even when they remembered their pasts, they didnt forget the things that Vandalieu did for them during the times when they didnt.

There was also the message that Rodcorte had sent once their memories had returned. And they would never forget the shock of seeing Vandalieus Divine Protection on their Statuses rather than Rodcortes divine protection.

The two of them had not been particularly close to the Gungnir Kaidou Kanata, whose soul had been destroyed, and they didnt wors.h.i.+p Rodcorte.

However, Rodcortes divine protection was nowhere to be seen on their Statuses. They took this to mean that they were isolated from the rest of the reincarnated individuals.

They were currently in the Demon Empire of Vidal, which was ruled by Vandalieu, and both of them understood that it would be difficult for them to leave the nation and live independently. Their abilities had returned along with their memories and personalities from their previous lives, so it wasnt a lack of capability that made this impossible. As long as they avoided high-difficulty Dungeons, they would be able to slaughter monsters that were around Rank 3 or 4.

However, it would be impossible for them to cross the range of mountains that were thousands of meters tall in order to get to another nation.

But even so, is it really alright to be honest with him? Cant we keep pretenses up by keeping quiet? Sarua suggested.

Theres no way we could. Weve got our memories back now, after all, said Sieg.

The Perseus Samejima Yuuri Sarua Legston, now had the appearance of a young boy from a n.o.ble family and a high-pitched voice with a lisp. Sieg had known him since their previous lives; it was very strange to see his current appearance and hear his current voice.

But the same was true for the Skanda Tanaka Jin Sieg. He was a year older than Sarua, but anyone who looked at them would see nothing but a pair of adorable boys.

Do you think youd be able to act like you dont remember? Im pretty sure Id slip up somewhere, said Sieg.

Well, I do think itd be difficult to act as if nothing happened, but said Sarua.

I definitely wouldnt be able to keep it up.

Yeah, me neither.

Although their memories from their previous lives had returned, they hadnt forgotten the memories of their current lives. However, it would be simply too difficult to continue being the same little boys that they were until recently.

Both of them had received military training in their previous lives, but that military training had not included acting training to the point that they would be able to pretend to be young children.

If they were in any ordinary nation, both of them would have decided to continue acting. Even if they occasionally did or said things that children of their age wouldnt, no ordinary family would suspect that their child had retained their memories from their previous lives. They would simply think that their child was more intelligent than other children, or that they were just a little unusual.

However, they were in a nation ruled by Vandalieu. The emperor of the nation was the one whom the reincarnated individuals were targeting. On top of that, he had made it public knowledge that he was a reincarnated individual from another world, as were Kanako and the others.

Sieg had read various works on Earth of that genre, and he had felt dizzy when remembering that typically, such characters kept quiet about their secret.

And Van-nii is able to talk to spirits that we cant see. Even when were just whispering to ourselves and maybe even when were discussing things like this, its all being overheard, said Sieg.

Sarua and Sieg looked around them and let out sighs that were far too heavy for boys of their age to be making.

They were unable to see spirits; they had no way of knowing whether there were spirits listening to their conversation right now.

Saruas Perseus was an ability that allowed him to freeze anyone that was looking at him. It wasnt a paralysis ability and it wasnt like Death Scythe, which stopped the movements of the target. It fixed the target in place in their exact current state.

Time stopped for anyone under the effects of Perseus, and nothing external could affect them. Whether one slashed them with a sword, shot them, or burned them, they would be unharmed. The targets would also have no memory of the duration they were under its effects as if they had been petrified by the head of Medusa, the monster who was slain and whose decapitated head was wielded as a weapon by the hero Perseus.

With that being the case, Sarua had initially thought that Medusa would be more suitable than Perseus when his codename was decided, but Perseus had apparently been better in terms of his public image.

In any case, Perseus was a powerful ability. It couldnt affect targets through recorded footage and photos, but it was able to affect someone looking at him through a live camera.

In his previous life, he had been driven into a corner by mercenaries with magic-enhanced hearing and a blind swordsman, then died after being caught in a b.o.o.by trap, but he would never lose against any enemy that relied on their eyesight.

But still, Saruas ability couldnt target spirits that he couldnt see or perhaps he

could

freeze spirits, but he couldnt just keep the ability constantly active. Perseus consumed Mana during its use, and the amount of Mana it consumed increased with the number of targets it affected.

As for Siegs Skanda, it was an ability that allowed him to drastically increase the speed of himself or any objects on him. With the ability active, he could run at what felt like a normal speed to him but actually be traveling as fast as a sports car, and he could perform what felt like an ordinary punch to him that was actually faster than the speed of sound.

He could also increase the speed of any machines, plants, animals, and people that were in contact with him although it couldnt accelerate bullets and other projectiles fired by weapons, as they lost contact with him after being fired, but it was still a powerful ability.

And even though Sieg accelerated himself, Sieg at the time, Tanaka Jin, hadnt grown or aged any more rapidly than anyone else. The ability was indeed very cheat-like.

However, no matter how much he sped himself up, he was powerless against spirits. He couldnt see or touch them, after all.

But wouldnt it be better to think more carefully about the timing? It doesnt seem like Kanako and the others have recognized us, after all, said Sarua.

Everyone other than Kanako, Doug, and Melissa might already know who we are, said Sieg. If any of them told Van-nii about us, it would be the worst-case scenario.

I see but what should I do if I end up causing trouble for Father and the rest of my family?

Im worried about causing trouble for Papa and Ma my mother and father as well. But Im sure it will be better than Van-nii finding out about us from an enemy, at an even worse timing than now.

Even though they had regained their memories and personalities from their previous lives, it didnt weaken their feelings for their families in their current lives. Their impression of Vandalieu was also based on their relations.h.i.+p with him in their current lives.

To Sarua, Vandalieu was the superior of his father and uncles, and to Sieg, Vandalieu was the apprentice of his father Zod. And Vandalieu was also an older friend to them both; they had played together many times in the past.

Alright. Weve made up our minds, so lets go and apologize! said Sarua.

Yeah. Lets go! said Sieg.

And so, the two of them told Vandalieu the truth and apologized to them.

Having heard their story, Vandalieu looked at them with a piercing gaze that looked as if it could see right through them. Thank you for confessing of your own volition. In consideration of your bravery, I will completely forget all grudges from our previous lives.

And with that, Vandalieu patted Sarua and Siegs heads.

They looked up at him with surprised expressions.

Huh? Are you sure? We attacked you after you became an Undead in our previous lives, Van-nii, said Sieg.

I was there as well. Are you really going to forgive us? asked Sarua.

Vandalieu continued looking at them with a piercing gaze that was actually not very perceptive.

It doesnt matter to me. Though I did really hate you right after my death. And I have plenty of things I want to say to Amemiya Hiroto and Narumi. Asagi is annoying as h.e.l.l, and I intend to kill Rikudou, said Vandalieu.

Hearing Vandalieu mention their former comrades as if it were the most normal thing in the world, Sarua and Sieg trembled with anxiety, their faces pale.

Ah, so, I dont have any remaining grudge towards you two, Vandalieu added hastily, realizing that he had scared them by voicing his true feelings based on the things he was aware of through Bandas presence in Origin. I dont intend to complain about things that happened in the past or do anything to you. I swear on the G.o.ds.

Despite Vandalieus promise, Sarua and Sieg looked even more worried for some reason. As Vandalieu found himself at a complete loss as for what else to say, Gufadgarn appeared behind him and whispered some advice in his ear.

I swear on my mother, said Vandalieu, taking Gufadgarns advice.

The moment he said that, the tension left Sarua and Siegs bodies, and their pale faces returned to their normal color. It seemed that even the children were aware that Vandalieu was a big mother-con to the point that a promise sworn on his mother was more trustworthy than one sworn on the G.o.ds.

Mom is an incarnation of Vida, so I would definitely keep a promise I swear on the G.o.ds said Vandalieu.

What about Rodcorte? asked Sarua.

That

is something thats just categorized as a G.o.d, and not a being that I respect or revere. Just like Alda. Id rather build a grand temple to a G.o.d of poverty than pray to him, Vandalieu replied.

I see. Well, I dont revere him either, said Sieg.

It seemed that Sarua and Sieg had no respect for Rodcorte. Part of the reason was that they had essentially been abandoned by him, but also because they believed that he had pulled a fast one on them.

The two of them, as well as the Urr Kay Mackenzie who wasnt here, were reincarnated individuals who had refused to fight Vandalieu. Rodcorte was aware of that.

And yet, Sarua and Sieg had been reincarnated as the children of people who were connected to Vandalieu.

Sieg was still unaware that his true father was Marshukzarl, the former emperor of the Amid Empire, but he believed that it would have been impossible to avoid encountering Vandalieu, considering that his stepfather was the Pure-breed Vampire Zorcodrio.

There was no doubt as to what Rodcorte had intended.

In reality, however, Vandalieu had become a guider who was capable of moving the souls of those he guided to Vidas circle of transmigration system, so the exact opposite of Rodcortes intentions had taken place instead.

Of course, Sarua and Sieg had no complaints in regards to who their parents were. One of Saruas uncles was an Undead, and Siegs father was muscular to the extreme, but neither of them had ever wished they were born to different parents.

Most importantly, I dont want to become enemies with the nephew of Chezare and Kurt or the son of my master. And I know the two of you quite well too, said Vandalieu.

Sarua and Siegs families were the biggest reason for his acceptance of them.

Chezare had been turned into an Undead who wors.h.i.+ped Vandalieu fanatically, and although he would grieve deeply if Vandalieu were to kill Sarua, he would not betray his master although something might break in his mind. But Kurt would be greatly shaken and tormented by internal conflicts in his heart.

Zorcodrio would never forgive Vandalieu for killing his son even after learning that Sieg was a reincarnated individual. A battle to the death would be the likely outcome of that.

Vandalieu wanted to avoid such circ.u.mstances at all costs. Thus, he was very grateful that the Sarua and Sieg had revealed their ident.i.ties as reincarnated individuals so quickly.

If you two had chosen to be my enemy, I would have had to make amends to at least keep up peaceful appearances using whatever methods I have at my disposal. Im so relieved, said Vandalieu.

Y-yeah. Im glad that we didnt become your enemies, Van-nii, said Sieg.

M-me too! said Sarua.

The two small boys were nodding their heads enthusiastically as they agreed. Judging from Vandalieus words, they could guess that if it had been necessary, Vandalieu would have forced them to come to an understanding using methods other than violence.

The two of them were undoubtedly fortunate to avoid being subjected to brainwas.h.i.+ng through the Mental Encroachment Skill or drugs created using Deadly Venom Secretion, or even a reconstruction of their brains using the Demon Kings shadow, for the purpose of keeping up peaceful appearances.

Kay is like us, but shes either not in Talosheim or hasnt got her memories back yet, said Sieg. So you should

If she tells me that she has no intention of becoming my enemy, then I guarantee her safety. As for her family well, it depends on them, said Vandalieu.

He didnt know much about Kay. He didnt even remember who she had been on Earth. He had no interest in her beyond the fact that she was a reincarnated individual who could potentially become an enemy, but he had no ill will towards her.

It was likely that she had been born in a family with some connection to Vandalieu, like Sarua and Sieg. However, it was possible that some information manipulation had taken place, similar to the way that Siegs true father had been kept a secret, so it would be difficult to search for her.

Vandalieu had been involved in three duchies in the Orbaume Kingdom Hartner, Sauron, and Alcrem. Even if the search was narrowed to just these three, each duke was served by two or three marquises, at least five earls, more than a dozen viscounts, and plenty more n.o.bles with a court rank of baron and below.

As for the Amid Empire, there were so many that even attempting to count them was futile.

And there were a countless number of children born not just legitimate children, but illegitimate and secret children as well.

At this stage, it was impossible for Vandalieu and his companions to find Kay and even if they search for her, if her memories and abilities from her previous life hadnt returned, there would be no way to tell her apart from any other ordinary young child.

And as for Kays family in this life, Vandalieu couldnt say anything beyond that it would depend on them.

Ill continue gathering information on Kay Well then, I suppose we should tell your families that youre reincarnated individuals, said Vandalieu.

C-cant we just not tell them? said Sarua, clearly wanting to keep it a secret.

We could do that, but itll become apparent sooner or later, said Vandalieu. You two might not be aware of it, but the fact that your abilities from your previous lives have returned means that your Skills and Attribute Values have returned as well. You have physical abilities and high-Level Skills that no child could possibly have. Itll be a difficult secret to keep.

Even when playing with other children, because they had incredible physical strength, they would constantly need to hold their strength back. If they got into an argument and accidentally let out even a small part of their real strength, theyd end up killing someone.

The Levels of their Skills were high as well, so if they showed their abilities in handling knives, archery, or magic that no toddlers should have, they would draw attention as prodigies or geniuses.

Come to think of it we were so caught up in worrying about what wed do about you that we didnt notice, Van-nii, said Sieg.

Status! Ah, youre right. Id probably beat Father in an arm wrestle, said Sarua.

It seemed that Sieg and Sarua hadnt noticed this up until now. They had been busy discussing what to do regarding Vandalieu, so they hadnt had opportunities to play with the other (ordinary) children lately so there hadnt been any instances of them drawing attention to themselves.

However, it seemed that the two of them now realized that it would be difficult to continue keeping it a secret without drawing attention to themselves.

Alright. But will things turn out alright? asked Sarua.

Ill be there to explain things with you so that they do, said Vandalieu. After all, you were all strangers to each other in your past lives; the only difference is that you have your memories of them.

Vandalieu wasnt particularly well-informed when it came to Rodcortes circle of transmigration system, but given that it was possible to send reincarnated individuals to another world, he believed that there were no clear connections between any individuals previous life and their current life.

The idea that ones family and children must have been family and relatives in previous lives as well Vandalieu believed that this idea was not true. He suspected that if such connections existed, it would be impossible to bring individuals from another world who were completely foreign existences and have them reincarnated in this world as specific people children of people who were close to him.

And these suspicions were correct. In Rodcortes circle of transmigration system, there was no connection between any given individuals current life and their previous one.

It was entirely possible for there to be a family with a mother who was an influential chief carpenter in her previous life, a father who was a jaguar hunter in his previous life, and a son who was previously a pig raised in a farm.

Your parents might think that your reincarnation caused you to steal the place of the soul that was supposed to be their real child. But even if thats true, its pointless to think about it, said Vandalieu. Im sure the souls that were supposed to be born instead of you two do exist, but they would have been no different from your souls before they regained your memories and personalities from your previous lives.

Rodcorte, the G.o.d who ruled over reincarnation, was able to arbitrarily control it at a whim. That fact alone made it pointless to think about the soul that should have been born as my child That soul had been a complete stranger in their previous life, and even if they had been born, they would have been born having forgotten all of their previous memories and everything else.

To Sarua and Siegs parents, it would be most simple and meaningful to think of it as their sons having gained their memories and personalities from their previous lives.

And if you were to ask who is responsible for all of this, it would be me, not you two. Its only natural that I explain things, Vandalieu said.

The Perseus Samejima had been reincarnated as Sarua Legston and the Skanda Tanaka Jin had been reincarnated as Sieg, and it was all because the two of them had refused to fight against Vandalieu.

That was why they had been reincarnated as the children of parents who had connections to Vandalieu. With that being the case, Vandalieu believed that he himself was the one responsible for this.

Th-thats not true! The one who reincarnated us is Rodcorte, said Sarua.

Sarua, I agree with you, but saying that Rodcorte is at fault is as obvious as saying villains are bad. And hes not going to do anything to put your parents minds at ease, said Vandalieu.

It wasnt necessary to hold the one who was truly responsible for this situation to account. There just needed to be someone to explain the situation to Sarua and Siegs parents and accept the blame. That was what Vandalieu had decided.

Of course, I dont think things will get that serious. There are precedents in me, Kanako, and Legion, after all, Vandalieu added.

Following this, Vandalieu explained to Sarua and Siegs parents that their children were reincarnated individuals, and as he had predicted, things didnt turn out too serious.

Saruas parents were surprised that the ruler of the nation, the very person they served, had come to personally explain the situation. They were also surprised that their son was a reincarnated individual, but they did not reject him.

As Vandalieu explained, Sarua had regained his memories and personality from his previous life, but he had not forgotten the memories of his current one.

And Saruas parents, the Legston family, had lived turbulent lives. They seemed to logically come to the conclusion that they just needed to think of their son as having been born with this particular quirk and treat him accordingly.

Things were simpler with Siegs parents. After all, his father was the Pure-breed Vampire Zorcodrio. There was no blood relation to begin with.

This boy loves me as his father even though I am of a completely different race. That is more than enough for me. But if he is ever troubled, I would like for you to help him as much as possible, as you are a reincarnated individual yourself, Zod said.

Siegs mother Rachel quickly accepted him as well. Her memories had been erased and replaced by false ones by the intelligence organizations of the Amid Empire; she had lived a turbulent life as well. She was likely accustomed to unusual situations occurring.

But Your Majesty, if this boy enters a rebellious phase after reaching adolescence, I am sure that even I will have all kinds of thoughts, so I will be in your care, Zod added.

Our house is in your care as well, said Saruas father.

Yes. Let us be in each others care for many years to come, said Vandalieu.

And so, Sarua and Sieg came to a peaceful understanding with Vandalieu, and their families formed deeper bonds with him.

Name:

Pain

Rank

: 10

Race

: Great Satan Moth

Level

: 85

Pa.s.sive skills

:

Superhuman Strength: Level 7

Rapid Regeneration: Level 3

Deadly Poison Secretion (Stinger and scales): Level 10

Poison Immunity

Self-Strengthening: Subordination: Level 9

Intuition: Level 3

Strengthened Body Part: Stinger, wings, proboscis: Level 10

Augmented Mana: Level 1

Mental Resistance: Level 7

Strengthened Attribute Values: Guidance: Level 6

Active skills

:

Charge: Level 5

Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 5

Transcend Limits: Level 1

High-Speed Travel: Level 2

Coordination: Level 10

Spear Technique: Level 5

s.h.i.+eld Technique: Level 7

Armor Technique: Level 7

Shrink: Level 1

High-Speed Flight: Level 3

Familiar Spirit Demonfall: Level 1

Unique skills:

Za.n.a.lpadnas Divine Protection

Vandalieus Divine Protection

Monster explanation (written by Luciliano): Great Satan Moth

An enormous moth monster with wings that look slightly venomous but have beautiful patterns. They are larger than an ordinary Wyvern in size; they are a symbol of death, scattering scales that contain all sorts of toxic properties in legends, at least.

However, it seems that Pain more often serves a healing-related role in Pauvinas party, producing scales with medicinal effects rather than toxic ones.

He is capable of fighting by using s.h.i.+eld Technique with his tough wings, Spear Technique with his sharp proboscis, and Unarmed Fighting Technique with the claws of his feet.

He is incapable of speaking human language, but it is evident that he possesses a high degree of intelligence and a calm nature.

Incidentally, Luvesfol and Master are able to communicate with him without having to resort to writing through speech in Luvesfols case, and by touching antennae in Masters case.

When Master does this, he often mimics the sounds made by Khl Apparently, this is not a method of communication and there is no real meaning to it.

Name:

Luvesfol

t.i.tle

: Raging Evil Dragon G.o.d, Pauvinas Pet, Tufty Mane

Rank

: 10

Race

: Evil Wyvern Lord

Level

: 77

Pa.s.sive skills

:

Mental Corruption: Level 3

Strengthened Attribute Values: Reigning: Level 5

Superhuman Strength: Level 10

Deadly Poison Secretion (Tail): Level 6

Water Attribute Immunity

Rapid Regeneration: Level 3

Strengthened Attribute Values: Loyalty (Pauvina): Level 5

Self-Strengthening: Flying: Level 7

Self-Strengthening: Swimming: Level 5

Strengthened Body Part: Wings, tail, claws: Level 5

Strengthened Attribute Values: Guidance: Level 3

Augmented Mana: Level 1

Active skills

:

High-Speed Flight: Level 7

High-Speed Swimming: Level 10

Charge: Level 10

Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 5

Water-Attribute Magic: Level 10

Mana Control: Level 5

Water Breath: Level 10

Coordination: Level 5

Familiar Spirit Demonfall: Level 1

Unique skills:

Vandalieus Divine Protection

Monster explanation (Written by Luciliano): Evil Wyvern Lord

A variant of Wyvern. It is possible that this is the first Wyvern in the world to have ever reached Rank 10. Well, to be more accurate, he is a sealed Elder Dragon, and perhaps he should not be compared to an ordinary Wyvern, his intelligence included.

On top of that, despite Wyverns being considered to be flying Dragons, for some reason, he is able to swim at high speeds, use water-attribute magic, and he is odd in that he is capable of producing a breath of water.

It seems that the reason for this is that he was originally an Elder Dragon of the water attribute.

Incidentally, he is unable to use the no-attribute magic that many of us human mages acquire in order to practice magic, but when I asked him about this, he gave an informative answer: Do not compare me to you lowly mortal mages. Us Elder Dragons and Colossi are born with the skill to wield the attributes that we are familiar with.

It goes without saying that in repayment for this valuable information, I told Master: His mane has been looking rather rough as of late. I believe you should put more attention into caring for it.